Vivekananda and Ramakrishna on Sikhism
Swami Vivekananda (January 12, 1863–July 4, 1902) was born in an aristocratic Bengali Kayastha ( Brahmin and Kshatriya) family of Calcutta in 1863. Born Narendra Nath Dutt, Vivekananda was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna. Both Men were influential figures in the Bengali Renaissance, as well as the Hindu renaissance during the 19th and 20th centuries.
From relative obsurity Vivekananda came to the attention of the Western world after his participation in the 'Parliament of Religions' held in Chicago, Illinois (USA) in 1893, at which he represented Hinduism. His vast knowledge of Eastern and Western culture as well as his deep spiritual insight, made a great impression in Europe and America.
In America he became India's spiritual ambassador and pleaded eloquently for better understanding between India and the New World in order to create a healthy synthesis of East and West, of religion and science.
In the course of a short life of thirty-nine years Vivekananda authored four treatises on Hindu philosophy: Jnana-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, Karma-Yoga, and Raja-Yoga.
Vivekananda & Ramakrishna's views on Sikhism
Writing about Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Swami Vivekanand wrote:
Guru Nanak was born in the sacred land of India. He gave a message of love and peace of the whole world and preached the same through his teachings. He was full of affection for everyone and his arms were always outstretched as if to embrace the whole world. There was no difference between a Hindu and a Muslim for him. He was common Guru to all. He was the Guru of all human race.
- (Reference: The complete works of Swami Vivekanand Vol. III page 366)
Swami Vivekanand was greatly influenced by the wonderful custom of propagation of consecrated water administered in Khalsa that whenever he used to write a letter to anyone; he used to give a high place to the ovation written by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, “ WaheGuru Ji Ka Khalsa WaheGuru Ji Ki Fateh”
- (Reference : Vivekanand’s Letter No. 207)
The unequalled sacrifices made by Guru Gobind Singh Ji for the sake of Nation and humanity always used to prevail on Vivekanand’s mind.
- three above quotes thanks to: www.sikhquotes.org
Vivekananda's Master, Ramakrishna was born in Bengal during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Born in a poor Brahmin Vaishnava family in rural Bengal, he became a priest of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple. Ramakrishna is said to have also experimented with other religions, notably Islam and Christianity, and said that they all lead to the same God.
Vivekananda is said to have had great respect for the Sikh Gurus. However his respect was said to be because of his belief that the “Gurus of Sikhism were the reincarnations of King Janaka of ancient India.”
Swami Vivekananda had his own reasons for his admiration of Guru Gobind Singh ji. In the confusing sentence below:
- He believed that the Guru brought on the “Sikh sect revival by his initiation when he re-Hinduised Mohammendan converts and took them back into the Sikh community.”
From the above we can see that by having former Hindus who had been converted to Islam (including circumcision) take part in the Sikh initiation of Pahul that Vivekananda clearly thought that Sikhi was a sect of the Hindu religion. Vivekananda did spend time in, Nainital, Almora, Srinagar, Dehra Dun, Rishikesh, Hardwar and the Himalayas.
From these two statements it can be seen that both Vivekananda and Ramakrishna had a limited knowledge of the Sikh religion, Sikh history and with their deaths having occured in 1886 and 1902, both men were clearly unaware of the Sikh political events of the early 20th Century. Most likely if Vivekananda had visited a Sikh Gurdwara they would have seen practices that were removed from Gurdwaras when Sikhs took over control of their houses of worship in the first half of the 20th Century. Clearly Swami Vivekananda believed that Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains were all Hindus.
To prove his point Vivekananda listed the common points shared by Hinduism and its sects: Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism.
- All these religions see Om or omkar as a sacred word and is commonly used in the beginning of their mantras or sacred invocations. In Sikhism Om is called as Ek Onkar. (see also Onkar
- All these religions believe in the existence of the soul and its rebirth in different bodies.
- The ends or aim of all these religions is the liberation of the soul from the bondage of matter or Moksha. The Hindu Moksha and the Jain Nibbana and the Buddhist Nirvana is one and the same thing.
- All these religions believe in the law of karma , or the law of cause and effect.
- Vegetarianism is considered a virtue in all these religions.
In the book Identity and Religion: Foundations of Anti-Islamism in India, by Amalendu Misra:
- Misra has written that Vivekananda approved Sikhism as a separate religon. He admired Sikhs for rising against Islamic powers and religon in india. He described Guru Gobind Singh as a creative genius (whose life was) centered around his latter religious-political exploits against the Mughal Empire. Equally strong was his praise for the Marathas, who rebelled (against) Mughal power Keeping them from gaining a foothold in the Deccan (the Southern part of India). The heroism shown by Shivaji and Guru Gobind Singh was a tribute to Hindu power.
So even in this book which is on Anti-Islamism in India the author writes that Vivekananda approved Sikhism as a separate religion, yet in his last sentence he says that Guru Gobind Singh's heroism was a-- tribute to Hindu power.
It is unclear whether the author or Vivekananda sees Guru Gobind Singh's heroism as a-- tribute to Hindu power.
- Above section excerpted from an article in Sikh Review [1]
Vivekananda held that no one can be truly free until all of us are free. Even the desire for personal salvation had to be given up, and only tireless work for the salvation of others is the true mark of the enlightened person. He also stress among his devotees the practice of Brahmacharya (Celibacy).
